


Loyalty and Refuge

by RedlaSunShowers029



Series: In-Training voracious incidents [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, snk - Fandom
Genre: Accidental Vore, Fluff, GT, M/M, jeanmarco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2014-10-06
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:59:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/RedlaSunShowers029
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Towards the beginning of a mission, Jean discovers that some chemical has gotten into his water, tainting the liquid and shrinking him to a two-inch height. Fortunately, he still has whatever help his friend, Marco, can assist him with... But what happens when nature turns on them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loyalty and Refuge

Sometimes, things happen in unexpected and amazing ways. For some, effect takes no position in the overall of their life, though there is always a greater quantity who are effected, or a small handful who are effected more vastly than a hundred people's experiences put together. This is simply how it started, with a field, an unnoticed shrinking elixir, and two friends. 

"Hey, Jean, if you keep stopping then we'll never complete this mission!" a young teen called back, snapping his reins so his horse would move forward. "Don't push your luck, Marco, I'll be there in a second." The tawny-and-grey-haired boy responded, catching up to his companion. "This horse just won't quit stopping- it's not me, it's just that I got a disobedient steed that's making things quite difficult. Not to mention that there have been Titan sightings here... We're not even out of training yet, so who knows how those damned bastards expect us to fight them?!" Marco directed his horse to circled around to Jean's left side, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'm sure that we won't have to- those sightings were too far off. I doubt they'd send us off to fight the Titans so early in our training, anyways. They'd have to have a significant reason for doing so... I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you." Jean was trying not to give into any false hopes of refuge or safety, though with his friend's somewhat cheerful freckled face and calm gray eyes, he couldn't help but trust the other male. "I just hope you're right... It's safe to say that neither of us will be joining the Military Police if we do encounter any." Jean replied, taking out his container of water, unaware of the liquid that was also mingled with it as he gulped down a few sips of it. "You're right- we should probably get going if we want to reach the second base camp by nightfall."  
The mission was not as hard a task as the one Eren and Armin had encountered that winter; for one, the air was humid and warm at this time of year, and for another, there was a lot more leverage for when they got back or left. The whole thing lasted three days, one of which had already been completed by the two boys. They were required to ride on horseback along a designated trail of forest, traveling by day and sleeping at one of the few camps arranged for them at night. Though they had to hunt for their own materials in this mission, both of them were capable of doing as such, and neither of them had to compensate for a shrunken partner's safety. Or, at least, not yet... 

By the evening, they had found the base camp they were permitted usage of, tethering their horses to two poles set up side by side. As Jean had finished knotting the reins firmly, he started to feel dizzy... Everything was spinning around him. Uncoordinated, he managed to flop next to Marco before falling deeply asleep for a few moments, head spinning. Through the wavelength of his dreams, he heard his name being called repeatedly. "Jean, are you alright? Jean? Jean?!" The moment he awoke, he did so with a start; for right in front of him was his friend, but easily seven times larger than him. So where was he...? Looking down, he noticed the tan flesh beneath him, ridges embedded in certain places in his palm. So he was in Marco's hand... But how on earth...? Something was up for sure. Then it dawned on him: had he shrunk?! 

"M-Marco..." Jean stuttered, beginning to question what could be done with this situation at hand. How would he be able to make it through like this? "How did this..." "I think you must've gotten in contact with something whilst on the mission. I think you might've accidentally filled your canteen with something that caused this..." Marco replied, gently stroking him. "Wasn't that scientist from the Scouting Legion using one of our facilities to test in? And I think Eren and Armin might've had the same thing happen... These experiments really need to be handled better than they are, with containment. Otherwise everyone is going to end up getting shrunk." Jean snapped his fingers in frustration. "Damnit! So that's why I'm stuck like this!" Surely none of this would end well... There was nothing to tell either of them how this would be able to work out... The only two who could have any idea were somewhere out there... 

"There better be a cure for this..." he mumbled under his breath sullenly, only stopping as he felt two gentle fingers stroke his back. "I'm sure you'll be alright... As long as you don't get lost or fall off of something... Right now, what's important is finding a good spot so this doesn't happen." Marco responded. In a quick few seconds, the tiny soldier scrambled over his hand, falling a few inches to the dark-haired boy's half-open pocket, diving in headfirst into the fabric. As Jean did so, a small gasp escaped Marco's lips, becoming tense before knowing his friend had reached this location safely. "Alright, that works..." The tone he used more than hinted his surprise as he waited for his tiny friend to get situated inside. "I'm going to go get some firewood, Jean. I'm thinking that tonight may be a little chilly." Marco explained to Jean. "Do you need anything from me?" 

Jean shifted around quite a bit in Marco's jacket, trying to find a comfortable position to remain in for some time. "N-No, I'm fine..." He finally settled down to rest his head on his hands, his knees folded beneath him as he snuggled into the soft fabric. "Thank you, Marco. I know this complicates the whole mission... I'm sorry about that." Marco didn't respond for a moment, sighing. "We could always turn back..." Jean settled down again to jab his elbow into the pocket. "Are you kidding me? If that suicidal bastard could get this done, then so can I. Besides, it's not even cold out at this time of year... I'll manage." He finished as Marco closed the pocket enough that he wouldn't fall out. "I know it's for different reasons, but you can be just as stubborn as Eren." Jean scowled at this comment, although didn't say anything. In a way, this was true; even he knew this, though didn't want to admit it. "Hopefully this will be over soon so that we can get back." Marco finally thought aloud, scooping up a few stray twigs on the earth. "If we're lucky, you'll be back to normal by the time we get back."The young soldier began to walk back to their camp, rubbing two sticks against each other until a brilliant flame burned on the edge. Quickly and carefully setting it away from trees and all other obstructions, he allowed the flames to grow, sizzling madly. Once this task was done he opened his pocket so that Jean could crawl out. 

The swift but gentle footsteps tickled his arm as the soldier ran out onto it, eventually settling down to look up at Marco from the palm of his hand, his back facing the other male's fingers. "Getting back to normal sounds good, before something really awful happens. I don't want to get crushed... Of course, I know you're not about to let that happen to me." Jean mumbled, allowing himself to be stroked a few more times by his gigantic-seeming friend. The thoughts of being stepped on or carried off by another animal were still far from gone from his head, although they had lessened greatly. Marco was there for him, after all, and soundly wouldn't let that happen... 

His thoughts were temporarily interrupted by a tiny slab of meat placed into his friend's hand in front of him, from one deer they had been able to catch on the road. It wasn't too much, but, of course, at this size, Jean wouldn't need much. It was slightly churred from the flames, and it didn't take him long to finish it off as his own friend ate his portion of the meat with the other hand. This proved difficult, so he eventually solved this by placing Jean onto his shoulder as he finished off his bit of the meal. At this point, they were both pretty content, glad to both have something in their stomachs. Then the two companions sat together, warmed by the blazing heat of the fire in the cold night air. Leaves stirred in the breeze, and despite any worries either of them felt, the landscape was just so... Serene. Not a single Titan plagued the land with its lipless smile and fangs, and the only blood that stained the earth was that of their catch. "Maybe this isn't as bad as I thought..." Jean mumbled, nuzzling against Marco's shoulder, feeling truly comforted by these thoughts. "I don't think I've felt better in forever. Sometimes, I suppose it's good to get away from it all..." 

This way was how the two sat for several hours, until the blazing sun completely disappeared into the abyss of the sky, bringing a creamy moon with it. Marco eventually traveled over to their sleeping bags, taking only his out, since Jean would be too small for that accommodation. As he began to unfold it, a small, calm sigh escaped him, feeling as content as he had been in forever. They were safe, protected, and Jean's current semi-predicament distracted him from any thoughts about the vicious beasts that would attempt to devour them if given the chance. He wouldn't anything happen... The mission could still be completed. Once he got himself situated, he'd begin to look for a place for Jean. 

Right above his head was a small pocket in the sleeping bag, which he showed to his tiny friend. Jean seemed rather eager for this, scrambling over to it and tucking himself in. It was a very soft, silky material, and he had trouble keeping his eyes open as he looked straight back at his friend. He was met with one last stroke of his head, the freckled boy hugging him gently to his chest for a few moments. Now this... Was indeed soothing, hearing the pounding of his friend's heart; strong and powerful, but also not without a gentle, steady rhythm, without fear, without worry- the loyalty and strength of a real fighter. "Goodnight, Marco..." Jean said sleepily, snuggled up next to his friend. He barely heard Marco reply, falling quickly asleep afterward, almost so that he slept with his eyes open. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, he awoke inside of Marco's pocket, just as he had been placed before. Judging by the movement patterns and clip clop of steady horse hooves, they were already traveling again. No doubt Marco wanted to get a head start today to make up for some lost time earlier yesterday. But Jean was not bothered by this, giving only small signs that he was awake and aware of what was going on around him. Certainly, anything more than a light nudge could distract him, and the last thing either of them needed was an addicent. 

Marco indeed felt the small nudges, though wasn't able to really give much sign, either, that he was aware, except shifting one hand very briefly and giving his pocket a small pat. "Ah, Jean, you're awake. Did you get enough sleep last night?" More squirming followed, and soon a tuft of tawny-gray hair poked out of the pocket, resting a tiny hand on the outside of the pocket. "I slept quite well, actually. And you, Marco?" Freckles  
put his hand quickly back on the reins, looking straight ahead to make sure there wasn't anything in the way of their path. "I'd say I got a fair share of it. Of course, it was a little harder for me to get to sleep, in fear something would happen to you, but once I finally exhausted myself, I slept quite soundly. I'm sorry that you woke up like this- I didn't want to wake you, but we'd get off schedule if we stayed there much longer." he explained, directing the horse further on the trail. Looking down, Jean could tell that Marco had tethered his own horse to the reins of the one he was riding, not taking a single eye off the land around him. It was unknown territory, after all, and anything could happen. But it was nothing compared to the nauseous thoughts of facing titans, of course. Those were far worse in the very nature than whatever the landscape held in its clutches. 

"We're almost to a stopping point. You slept through roughly half the trip, and there are a few trees that we can shelter amongst temporarily." After that, Marco was silent, making sure that he was on course every few seconds, and checking to make sure Jean was alright for the other few in between. Jean had been right- it would indeed complicate the mission further, but he could make do for now. Jean was safe, that was what mattered... Though the horse had to choose that moment to trip momentarily, throwing Jean out of his pocket, screaming in terror. Poor Jean barely had enough time to be scooped up by his friend before he could hit the ground. Both their hearts were pounding madly, the terror softening slightly as Marco halted both equines to look down at his quivering friend in the palm of his hand. 

"Jean! Are you hurt?! I'm so sorry, I should've payed closer attention to-" "Marco, it's a-alright. I-It's not your fault... I'm fine." Jean stuttered, brushing himself off. "No one is to blame, except maybe your damned horse. It should've watched where it was going." he replied, a hint of aggression in his voice as he spoke. "I probably shouldn't try poking my head out, either, or this could happen again." Jean mumbled, clambering up his friend's sleeve and returning to his pocket. "You can continue on the trail, if you're up to it. I'll be fine as long as I stay further down, and maybe close your pocket so I don't fall out again. I'd rather not... Be crushed on this mission." 

Marco needed to hear no more to remove one arm from the reins and fasten it. "A-Alright. If you're sure..." Another click of the reins sent the two horses back to a steady gallop as he settled more comfortably on the horse. "I suppose you're right. Waiting for nightfall won't do us any good, after all. It'd be better to get to our last campsite by then." For a while after, neither spoke, calming and steadying their heartbeats and bodies as well, trying to become less tense from the nearly heart attack-inducing experience from a few moments before. Hopefully that wouldn't happen again... Though that would not be the worst thing that would happen to the two friends. 

Night crept up upon them like a cat on the prowl, pouncing on the sky until the sky was stained with the black blood of the day. The second camp was reached, although there was another group already set up. "Odd..." the freckled boy mumbled, dismounting and tying the two steeds to a designated pole. "Who's already been here...? I thought we were ahead of everyone..." Carefully, he looked around for any signs of other trainees around, and then spotted them: "Eren! Armin!" Upon hearing Marco's voice, both the blonde and brunette turned their heads, gray-green and sea blue eyes gazing at him curiously, apprehensively. "Marco? B-But... Where's Jean?" Eren asked, starting to walk forward with Armin on his left side. 

Hesitantly, Marco waited a moment before unfastening his pocket, pulling out a very tired and tiny Jean. "H-He's... Right here. I have no idea what happened, but..." Both of their eyes widened seeing what had become of their tiny friend. The brunette turned and whispered something that was only coherent to Armin: "So Jean's gotten it, too?" Armin only gave a nod of understanding. "We need to help them, then." he whispered back. "Looking after someone that height is difficult as hell!" "It's not a fun situation to be in when you're the one who's two inches tall, either." Eren agreed. 

"How did this... Happen?" Eren asked, walking up to Jean and giving him a light nudge. Jean grumbled a bit, snarling back "Watch it, Jaeger." before getting more comfortable in his friend's palm. "Honestly, I have no idea. All I know is we reached the second camp, and then this happened." His concern was apparent as he continued. "Fortunately, Marco found me before anything could happen, but... I could've been crushed or carried off in the few moments it took. I don't know the exact time- I went unconscious when it happened- but I'm sure it was a bit of time out in the open." 

"Me too." Eren blurted without realizing what he was saying, met with Jean's brown eyes. "So this has happened to you? I knew it. The moment I got stuck like this... I knew the same had happened to you. I thought it was strange Armin had left with no sign of a partner, but now... It all makes sense!" "How did you solve that problem, by the way, Armin? Keeping Eren from the cold and making sure he was safe?" Armin froze up, a look of pure horror playing across his face as he looked down, not wanting either of them to read the expression of complete nausea he had on at the moment. "I-I'd... Much rather not talk about it... Besides, y-you don't have to worry about Jean dying of frostbite or hypothermia... It was a different situation, and the measures were more desperate... Y-You really don't want to know what had to be done-" 

"-I understand. We'll have to think of something else, then." Marco interrupted to break his comrades's horrific place of mind. It was pretty rare, after all, for Armin to seem so upset about protecting his friend: the result had to be no less than horrific with this reaction. He hoped he'd never have to experience this, whatever it was... Though surely that time would not be as forcibly pressed if it did happen. Armin was right- the frigid winds of half a year ago were a completely different obstacle, and they would have to sheer luck to be able to avoid it this season and location. 

For a while after, the other two instructed Marco on a list of things they could attempt, before beginning to untether their own horses an hour later. "Y-You're leaving?" Marco asked, running up to them. "We're sleeping by day, traveling by night. It was Armin's idea, actually." Eren confessed as he clapped the blonde's shoulder. "We were just resting here to get our strength back up until nightfall. We were actually going to leave when you got here, but well- Jean's safety is more important than a bit of headway. But now, I'm afraid we do need to go." They both clambered onto their horses, reins snapping as the equines slowly departed. "Tell us how it goes when you get back, and good luck." Armin murmured back to the two before they disappeared into the distance, leaving the other two to the site. 

"So this has happened to them during the winter mission? How awful..." Marco thought aloud as he focused his gray eyes on Jean. "It makes sense, though they're right- at least it's warm enough outside, so the only disadvantage you've got is your vulnerability due to your size." He gently picked Jean up by both his waist and the collar of his jacket, carefully placing him back inside the refuge his pocket could offer the tiny soldier. "Just... Hang in there... Hopefully this will wear odd soon." Though Jean had his own doubts, he wasn't willing to voice them... Not yet, at least. He'd wait for the worst to come before feeling comfortable saying the things in the back of his mind. "I'm sure... Things will eventually calm down." he mumbled, feeling a bit more drowsy snuggled up against the dark-haired boy's chest, lulled nearly to sleep by the slow steadiness of his friend's heart and calm breathing. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Morning came again- their very last- meaning it was time to head in the other direction, back to the training grounds again. The sun was rising quickly to chase away the moon as they continued on. There was a small ringing in the air, then the sound of horses in the distance... Looking out, Marco could tell that the rest of the soldiers were just reaching his ground. Without the desire to wake Jean, he carefully folded the sleeping bag and stuffed if into a saddlebag, followed by the bits of meat they could eat at the next stop, and untethered both horses, mounting his own with Jean's trailing behind. One snap of the reins sent them to a gallop again, as the two began to circle back on the end of their mission. 

The steady rhythm of the hooves began to awake the boy within Marco's pocket, stretching the best he could inside the soft fabric. "Marco..." he yawned, his tone groggy from his small rest. He rubbed his eyes, vision blurry with sleep, finishing up with whatever fading dreams he was having quite smoothly. "How far are we from the rest of the groups?" 

"We're ahead of them, apart from Eren and Armin, I believe. If we catch up to them, maybe they could tell us more about how to prevent anything from happening to you." "They've already told us enough by now," Jean commented, sitting up with his legs crossed underneath him, "besides, I'm not quite sure I want to know. You saw their facial expressions- it's obviously pretty unspeakable. It's pretty rare that I've seen Eren so upset about something besides bad training grades." He stopped to think about it for a moment... No, that couldn't be right... Eren surely would've died if that had happened... "I'm probably overthinking it, but... Do you think..." 

"No, Jean, that's impossible." Marco replied. So he was having similar thoughts... "It makes sense, though... If that happened... They wouldn't want to say anything about it, for obvious reasons... But then again, I don't think someone could possibly live brought that." he mused, resting his neck on the palms of his hands as he leaned back gently against the inside of the pocket he was in. "But apart from that, it fits... Maybe there was a way he could live?" "I don't think there's anything that could possibly save him from that... Don't you think?" "I suppose you're right, I probably just took a mental wrong turn." he replied softly. He was so exhausted, maybe he could just fall asleep then...

They were nearing the next stop on the road back, the pair feeling quite content, when a raucous shriek filled the morning sky. Jean, of course, had no idea what was going on, but soon heard the terrified cries of his friend that followed- it was safe to say that something had gone terribly wrong... And then came a splatter of feathers, wings beating furiously at his location inside his friend's pocket... Some raptor had clearly found him, and was attempting to shred him to pieces. In this way, he was trapped for the moment. Hopefully Marco would be able to get it away... Otherwise it wouldn't be long until he was shredded to pieces. 

Marco, on the other hand, was completely horrified by this as well, having difficulty quite throwing the bird back far enough. It was attacking him savagely, no doubt drawn by the subtle movements of his tiny friend. Cuts from the predator's talons digging into his forearm began to trickle with a small portion of his blood, beginning to get further off as he reached for his blade. He barely got a swipe across before it flew off, squawking what sounded like they could insults if it could speak normally. However hesitant he was to pull Jean out, after this incident, he had to know just how severe his injuries were. Carefully, he took his companion out of his pocket by the collar of his jacket, placing him on his other palm to inspect him for any blood loss or other injuries.

The brown eyes that stared back at him were no more than terrified; there was not a single scratch on him at this moment in time. "A-Are you hurt?" Marco stuttered, relief flooding him, but not entirely soothing him entirely. This slight assurance increased some as Jean shook his head, and crawled steadily over to his fingers. Whist Marco was making sure of this, Jean inspected the bloody scratches aligned on Marco's arm, and understood what must've happened; in terror of the alternative, the freckled boy had shoved an arm between the raptor and himself, although how it had found him initially remained a mystery to him. 

"I-I'm fine, just a little shaken up. I've got not a single scratch, far as I can tell. I'm just glad that bird left..." Though another shriek penetrated the air, countering this statement as the predator returned with swift talons. Marco, at this point, was completely terrified, scouring his surroundings in a frantic effort to discover a suitable refuge for his friend. His panicked gray eyes met the terror within Jean's, and a thought came to him- he was so small, and so brave all the same... Maybe... No. That would never work. Any external spot he put Jean, this bird would chase him down. 

Time slowed for a moment as the raptor, now recognizable as a hawk, approached the miniature boy, gold eyes glinting hungrily. Surely, someone of Jean's size could be devoured- swallowed whole, even- by such a beast, a satisfying snack for the creature. Now, it was sure at this point that it had exhausted the other boy's strategies and attempts to keep this meal away any longer. This said, the hawk was quite pleased by the thought of such a deliciously filling meal available, reaching out with the talons capping off each foot. What was this human thinking, anyways, leaving such a morsel out without devouring it? And not only that, but leaving it out in the open for other predators to grab? Surely this was an inexperienced predator... That was the only way to put it. Well, this deficit would aid these plans to fill its own stomach. Oh, what an interesting creature this was... Was it rodent? Whatever it was, no matter how strange, it looked delectable...

However, Marco was persistent, doing all he could to protect Jean from the advancing creature, whom he marked as idiotic to attack an already-protected target other than the quantity of rodents and other small creatures available within the surrounding woods. In any instance, he flatly refused for his friend to become a meal to anything at all. All he could do is stand his ground the best he could, up until the hawk gave up or found something better to tussle over. 

Meanwhile, kept firmly but gently within Marco's palm, Jean was internally cursing whatever liquid had resulted in his miniature size. By the looks of the surrounding area, there wasn't anywhere to hide, and the hawk was coming up fast. However, he looked up at his terrified friend... Maybe they hadn't found out what the hawk's intentions were... Maybe it wasn't even after him... Or, so he hoped... Then the savage creature flew up at Marco's face, talons extended, resulting in the poor tiny soldier swiftly finding himself tossed into the air briefly, though landing in a place that the hawk could not reach him... Although it almost felt better if the hawk had gotten him instead. Marco closed his mouth, teeth gritted, as the bewildered fowl flew around, bewildered. Before descending, the creature gave one last squawk that caused the freckled boy to swallow nervously before it began flying off in defeat. 

***Jean, of course, had no idea what was going on- all he knew is that he had landed on top of something cushion-like, slimy, and wet... And more of this around him, not soon after being drenched in the thick, slimy liquid pouring out of the surrounding area... He had barely any time, however, to look around- not like he could, seeing wherever he was had no source of light- before feeling himself sliding back right after the final cry of the creature disappeared. But where on earth was he...?! He attempted to grasp his mental stability long enough to work through these details he had been given via his senses, and decided which spots this could possibly link up to as he attempted to think it over whilst he turned to lay on his stomach... Moments later, he felt his boots being slowly sucked into the tight, tunnel-like area behind him. He still couldn't put his finger on it, trying to pull his feet out to no avail. Soon, his legs followed despite weak kicking in mild and baffled protest, when he heard the sound of a gulp echoing around him... That was when he realized where he was; at the back of Marco's mouth, being tugged down his throat... Almost immediately, he began struggling frantically, in complete fear of being swallowed, though at this point, the slick muscles had already caught him enough for this to lack results in his favor, screaming as loud at he could in hopes that Marco would hear him. 

In a desperate effort, he wedged his foot into the slick, tight muscles as his head followed he rest of his body down the throat, though even at that point could tell it had done nothing. He was helpless against the throat muscles belonging to his own friend... And though he struggled against them, they only forced him down, inattentive to his attempts to heave himself back up. And so, screaming and shouting for Marco to spit him out, he was gulped down, the flesh tightening around his shrunken form. 

As he was fully trapped in the muscles, slowly but surely sliding down the fleshy tunnel, he began to hear the quickened beating of the freckled boy's pounding heart. This was only an indicator of just how horribly off he was, already being directed to this point... In all his life, never had there been a worse thing he could imagine- being eaten alive; swallowed whole by his own best friend, the only one he trusted with his life... And now, that was beginning to fade. Yes, surely he would die in this way, with such an unspeakable fate...

These thoughts were temporarily interrupted by the space around him becoming less tight, at first inducing relief, then panic; for surely that could only mean one thing... Sure enough, just as the space opened up, he was temporarily suspended, only to plummet with a splash into a noticeable amount of dark fluid submerging him- stomach acid. He coughed and gagged once it had settled down again in just how much danger he was in: he was inside Marco's stomach. Inside of a digestive organ. Surrounded by stomach acid. Stuck inside a place to which he could not hope to escape, unless Marco was aware of what had happened and could get him out before things got worse. But right now, the situation at hand had left him too scared to even move a muscle, much less try anything to get himself out. Evidentially, he settled to shove himself into the slick internal walls, pounding with quick, sharp movements, barely getting the name of his friend past his lips.

By this point, Marco had gotten back onto his horse, unaware of his friend's major predicament and assuming he had landed back inside of his pocket safely. Never would he have thought, of course, that things had gotten that perilous in such a rapid extension of time, and was going on his way, lest anything more dangerous would befall his friend. It wasn't until a few moments later, with Jean's pounding and thrashing, that he checked his pocket again; but there wasn't a single trace of the stubborn soldier anywhere. He scoured the land around him, feeling quite nauseous. Whatever was physically bothering his gut wasn't helpful, either, and only increased his discomfort. Maybe he should stop to clear his head... 

By this point, Marco had gotten back onto his horse, unaware of his friend's major predicament and assuming he had landed back inside of his pocket safely. Never would he have thought, of course, that things had gotten that perilous in such a rapid extension of time, and was going on his way, lest anything more dangerous would befall his friend. It wasn't until a few moments later, with Jean's pounding and thrashing, that he checked his pocket again; but there wasn't a single trace of the stubborn soldier anywhere. He scoured the land around him, feeling quite nauseous. Whatever was physically bothering his gut wasn't helpful, either, and only increased his discomfort. Maybe he should stop to clear his head... 

The horses' hooves stopped the moment he tugged on the reins and dismounted. Now he would make a more through search of his surroundings. In a few moments Jean's screaming was audible as he worked himself up further the longer he was stuck there. Now Marco heard it, though could not pinpoint the location of the voice. Maybe if I keep quiet and still, I'll be able to tell where it's coming from. Where the hell could he be, though?! I'm certain that's his voice... As Jean reached the highest point of shrieking, the truth dawned on him... "Jean!" he cried in disbelief, placing a hand over his stomach to show he had heard. 

From Jean's location, this was a monstrous sound, echoing around the surrounding walls threefold and ringing in his ears. All to add to the terror he was experiencing. Surely, by the tone of the freckled boy's voice.... Marco had heard him? With a large amount of sloshing and effort, he waded over to the other side of the walls, where he had originally heard the voice. "M-Marco! C-Can you hear me...?!" The slick flesh pressed into his face at this- surely this was Marco placing a hand on his stomach. "Y-Yes, I can! Are you hurt yet?!" Just hearing his voice lifted a major weight off of his back. This wasn't something he hadn't put under account; was he hurt? When he checked himself, he couldn't find anything that indicated this, so it was safe to assume he didn't have any injuries... Yet. "I-I'm unscathed... Right now, at least. M-Marco, go find the other two... They'd probably know what happened."

This was true- Eren and Armin certainly knew something about this situation and would be the best help. Out of the corner of how eye, he saw them at the next camp, half a mile away... They would be there for a while longer, if they were traveling at night. Thus, he mounted his horse and raced over to their direction, keeping one hand on his stomach the whole time. "I-I see them... I'll get their attention..." The legs of the horse were at its swiftest gait, descending over the fields to the brunette and blonde's location.

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Eren was a bit groggy as he awoke to stare into Marco's desperate gaze. "Marco, what happened?" Eren yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Did something happen to Jean? I don't see him with you..." In a panic, Marco could only nod as his eyes filled with tears. "W-Wait did you...?!" He needed no more explanation to work with, now quite aware of what had happened, kicking Armin awake. "Eren, it's not nightfall ye-" "This is far more important! You know I wouldn't wake you up like this if it weren't. Remember... What happened to us last winter...? I think the same thing might've happened t-" "What?! N-No..." he sat bolt upright in his sleeping bag, rushing over to the panicked Marco alongside the brunette. 

"A-Alright, j-just... Tell us what happened." Eren stuttered. "Take enough time to get it out... Nothing is going to happen in the meantime." He calmed the lump in his throat just enough to stutter a few coherent word. "We were coming up on this stop... And a hawk came out of nowhere, I think it saw him in my pocket... I took him out to make sure he wasn't hurt... Then it came back again... Didn't get him, but startled me, and... And..." This was the extent to which Marco could utter not a word more, nearly breaking down as he gulped down a bit of air for his friend. Though he was quite baffled by the other two nodding in understanding, calmly walking up to him, sympathy- empathy, even- in their knowing eyes. "I think I know what happened... When it startled you, I presume that made you toss him into the air, and you caught him, without knowing it... Inside your mouth. Then you got shocked into swallowing..." Armin theorized, seeming just as fearful and resentful of the thought as the rest of them. 

Both of the friends were rather shocked by how easily this had been given away, speechless for multiple reasons now. "How did you..." Marco spluttered once he had gotten over his awe at their rapid explanation, especially since it was devoid of all but a sheer confidence. This was met yet again with the two of them looking down at their boots in disgust. "Let's just say... The same thing... A similar thing... Happened on the winter mission." Eren gulped. "I-I'll explain later, but right now, w-we should focus on getting Jean out... It's probably good you came to find us, or else, he'd be stuck in there a good deal longer." The brunette got down so he was at level with Marco's chest, trying to be assured Jean was still alive. "Jean, it's me. Can you hear me? Are alright?" he asked, in a tone soft as silk, surprising for one used when talking to a rival. 

Baffled by Eren's soothing tone, he got as far out of the acids as he could, pressing a hand up to the direction of Eren's voice. "Eren, you damned bastard... Do I seem like I'm fine?!" he scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the stomach wall in disgust. Of course he wasn't alright- he was inside of his friend's stomach! What nerve he had to ask. "You can hear me, then... I mean physically. You know, you don't have any acidic burns, broken limbs, bite or scratch marks?" "N-No, but that's different from asking if I'm alright." he muttered somewhat rebelliously. "Besides, I'm in Marco's stomach... It would be too easy for me to be digested..." "The serum that shrunk you should prevent that from happening. Otherwise it's one completely different from the one we got into contact with..." Armin assured the two of them. "As long as he's unharmed now, unharmed he'll stay. Don't worry, Jean, you're going to come out of this unharmed..." 

Jean shuddered as his foot sank into the soft, slick muscles beneath him, trying to hammer this into his brain. So I'm not actually in danger?! How does that make any sense? I don't even know what I'm up against, it's too dark to see a damned thing! He attempted to wrap his head around this for a few moments, getting more situated to his surrounding area in an effort to calm himself down. Yes- now that he looked at it, he was indeed without danger, not a single injury embedded in his flesh. He was just soaked through with saliva and acid, stuck, and terrified, but his surroundings for some reason posed no threat. But that couldn't possibly be so... He was inside of Marco's stomach, of all places! So why wasn't he getting assaulted? What on earth had been in that serum, anyways, that had somehow tainted his supply of water?! He couldn't put a finger on it- any of it- why things had turned how they were attempting to go. It's all just part of my life, I suppose. I went into training to live without the name of fear in my vocabulary, away from those savage beasts set on devouring us, and what happens? Just that! At least this is Marco, though... If I can't be hurt like this, then he won't try to hurt me, and I suppose that does mean I'll remain unscathed... 

He could hear Eren's worried voice again, saying something to Marco he couldn't quite hear, settling down to lean against the flesh again. Reassuring or not, this message was being branded on his mind. Somehow, he'd be alright... Nothing was happening to him now... But truth danced into the otherwise hollow words- with being trapped inside for a matter of easily five minutes or more, certainly he'd already have been churned to soup long ago. He wouldn't have even made it to the other two. So in a way, this reassurance calmed him down, understanding that he wouldn't die. Even so, this wasn't a comfortable environment for him at all... In fact, intimidating was an understatement. Every time he tried to situate he could feel the slimy muscles getting almost tighter around him, despite the survivable and nearly adequate room inside, caking him with the soupy acids all the way up to his face. It was... A mixture of disgusting and terrifying, as he wished it to be over as soon as possible. 

He could hear a bit of the conversation outside, consisting almost entirely of the other two calming Marco down enough. "N-Now, just try to trigger your gag reflex... Maybe shove one finger to the back of your throat?" Eren instructed. "That's what Armin did to hack me up... It should work in this circumstance as well." Marco wasted no time in doing such, shoving his index finger in as far as he could until he gagged. This was very sudden for Jean; one minute, he was in a mostly calm environment, then everything seemed very unsettled. Surely, Marco was making himself sick now? But sure enough, mere moments later he was forced back up, the muscles of Marco's throat directing him forcibly upwards this time, and up into his mouth. 

A warm, sticky stream of saliva and acid fell from Marco's mouth, evidentially resulting in Jean's reappearance as he landed with a splat back onto his friend's palm. He was shaking, sodden, and spluttering, but without any signs of digestion or any other fatal injury. That was when he was aware of just how limited his supply of oxygen had been whilst gulping it down thankfully. No sooner had he gotten a few breaths, that he was doused with a large spray of another liquid; looking up once it had been poured onto him, he realized that Armin had poured a bit of the water from his supply over top of him. "I just want to make sure it doesn't end up affecting you..." the blonde remarked, before setting the remainder of the bottle's contents down. 

***Jean still lacked the courage to look up at his friend after this occurrence, accidental or not- after all, even the knowledge of this being unintentional didn't change the fact that he had just been eaten alive by his own friend. They were less apparent as Marco gently stroked him, and he could simply feel the sincerity in his gray eyes. The alternative to having this happen, lest he forget, would've been shredded to pieces and/or eaten by the hawk. This had been an accident that just well might've saved his life. This much he kept in mind despite how shaken he was.

"J-Jean... A-Are you...?" He shook his head, not even needing Marco to finish his sentence, seeing as any friend would be equally distraught if this had happened to the other. "No, I'm fine... Just a little shaken up f-from that..." He calmed himself down enough, before noticing the constant rubbing of fabric against him- looking up, he could tell that Marco was trying to dry him off with the bottom corner of his jacket. "T-Thank you." Jean mumbled, relieved to at least be free of the vile liquids he had been soaking in for easily twenty minutes. 

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"So what did happen to you guys during the winter mission, anyways? Surely it was something... Something like this. Otherwise neither of you would've caught on so soon." Jean inquired the other two, leaning back in Marco's soft palm against the flickering warmth of an impromptu fire made seconds ago. As expected, this was met with blanched faces, reluctant to reveal this event in its integrity. "W-Well..." Eren began explaining the rest of the situation at hand the best he could through stutters and a quavering voice, matched with the horror and skeptical looks of his other two peers. With every word, Armin cringed and shuddered, becoming more and more level with the ground. By the time he finished, Armin's guilty and ashamed expression only adding to the horror in both Jean and Marco's faces. 

"S-So you actually wanted to be-" "Fuck no!" Eren exclaimed in surprise. "I'd much rather have died, honestly! But freezing was, amazingly, much more perilous and agonizing an even that... And I was, much like you, Jean, afraid of dying. I-I didn't have much choice, you know... That's why I didn't want to tell you guys, but I thought it might... Make you feel better about your own previous predicament." 

Though he resented admitting to it, Jean nodded his head a little to acknowledge that it had, indeed, helped quite a lot for his shattered nerves, and the quickened pulse of his heart was fading into the mists of time. "I suppose you're right. After all, there are many things worse than this, I'm sure. But that... That I would have no guesses in favor of beforehand. To become fate's toy in such a way- I certainly wouldn't have... been able to withstand such a chain around my own neck." A small yawn escaped his lips quietly. Well, it's been a long day... Let's get some rest." 

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Jean awoke next to Marco, however feeling quite... Strange yet again. He was certain he'd fallen asleep in Marco's sleeping bag just as the nights before. But now, he was on the hard earth next to it. But that wasn't the only perplexing thing. Looking around, he noticed that wasn't the only thing different; for right behind him, Marco slept soundly, to the point where he could see him entirely. Odd... He sat up, and everything became clear in his sleep-blurred eyes. Only one thing could've happened... Everything seems average again... Am I back to normal?! He looked down at the palms of his hands just to make sure that he wasn't in a lucid trance with his aspirations and hopes. Even as he pinched his wrist, the small stab of pain kicking into his nerves, the surrounding area showed not the slightest limit to its current precision and clarity. 

The slightest sliver of the moon was quickly chased down with the golden rays of light as Marco finally awoke, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Good morning, Jean..." But what he saw before him wasn't the two-inch version of his companion he had started to be accustomed to, but his friend was normally-sized before his eyes. A small smile played across his lips as he stretched lazily and got up. He then proceeded to stand up, walk over to the now standing Jean, and gently wrap his arms around his neck. His lips found their way to the no longer shrunken boy's cheek, giving him a good-morning-style kiss. Within this moment Jean's cheeks flushed red, looking back at his grinning friend. "G-Good morning, Marco... How are you?" 

"I'm just about read to go, and you? I suspect you'll be glad to return to training at your normal height again." Marco chuckled, rubbing a hand through Jean's hair, which was messier than ever. "The other two left right after a little bit of rest, I'm afraid, as they were only staying as long as needed so that they knew you were alright, then left before night took over." Jean rolled his eyes playfully. "Well then, we better catch up to those bastards. Can't have them getting ahead of us." Jean replied, helping Marco pack up and mounting his own horse beside his friend. "Oh, they're probably not far ahead... They didn't get their sleep, far as I know..." "They had a rest in the middle of the day after that accident." Jean retorted, offering his hand to aid Marco in mounting his own horse. "But still, let's give them some competition to try and increase our ranks." Jean replied with a smile. "Come on, Marco- let's show them all some healthy competition."

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so... This was actually my first time working with these sweet characters. I am really quite glad that I did, however, and despite the fact I had to add Eren and Armin in on occasion, it was really quite fun to write. DA link for full description: http://redlasunshowers029.deviantart.com/art/JeanMarco-Loyalty-and-Refuge-SNK-Vore-482903287


End file.
